8th Time is a Charm

We had a great weekend at CrossFit Oakdale, holding our 8th co-ed partner competition. A huge thanks to all the judges, volunteers and athletes that took the time and put in the work to have a great event.

We had some great efforts across the board, and I will talk more about that tomorrow. But here’s my big story – for the first time in 8 tries, a team from CrossFit Oakdale won the event!

Over the years, we have had incredible teams pass through our rollups doors. Games teams from Rocklin CrossFit, Nor Cal CrossFit, Danielle Brandon (11th at the 2019 Games) and Regionals and Sanctionals athletes have won, podiumed and battled in memorable performances. Sam (now a coach at OPEX in Scottsdale) and Nick took 3rd in 2013, Nick and Jen took second in 2014, losing out to Rocklin’s female Games athletes. Chris F and Jack O, basically draped in American flags, made the finals a couple years ago, taking fourth, but we never had a team take the whole thing. Brad B and Tim (from Resident) were sitting in first last year, but a tough handstand walk event knocked them down to third place

Bryce and Shannon teamed up this year, and have been training hard together since the summer. I accidentally called them Brannon and Shyce the other day. Jessica has been coaching and refining their movements, systematically attacking their weaknesses.

But just because you put in the work doesn’t mean you get to win. Everyone is working very hard, very smart all the time. The bar for winning any competition, even a friendly, local competition had become impossibly difficult.

Shannon and Bryce won the axle bar workout, took second on the other 2 gauntlet workouts, and took 5 in the burpee work, putting them in 2nd place, 2 points behind the first place team from CrossFit Marin. Going into the finals, Bryce and Shannon strategized around strengths and weaknesses. Shannon is great at a lot of stuff, but walking on her hands is not one. So, they chose to give Shannon extra lunging, keeping Bryce fresh for the final 100 feet of walking lunges.

With a final that was weighted 40%, winning could jump Shannon and Bryce from first to second, and it all came down to their strategy to set Bryce up for the handstand walk.

Shannon did her part, lunging like a maniac with the overhead dumbbell an extra 100 feet, giving Bryce about a 20 foot lead on Amanda from Marin.

Again, Bryce has put a tremendous amount of work since arriving at CFO. He is a very strong human, but I don’t think he would be mistaken for a gymnast. But, with serious attention to detail, he has become a monster, regularly winning handstand walk and ring muscle up workouts in the gym and putting up great performances in the open.

Bryce had the 20 foot lead, but he had to keep it. Marin chose to keep Amanda as their only walker, so it finished as Bryce versus Amanda. Amanda basically ran on her hands to chase down Bryce and was able to take 10 feet off the lead Shannon built. Bryce held strong, and until the last five feet he was completely solid. But as you know that last five feet can be the hardest. Although he wavered, and had Amanda breathing down his neck, Bryce stayed upside down, and moved across the line, beating Marin by seconds taking the win!

Great job Bryce and Shannon, the first ever CrossFit Oakdale Franniversary winners!

Workout of the Day

Strength

Back Squat

3 sets of 3, 75%

OTM 10

3 Push Press

21-15-9

Hang Power Clean 95/65

Shoulder to Overhead 95/65

HPC must pass below the knee